1. They're Only In It For The Money
For many years Python was a decent money-spinner for the group, through VHS then DVD re-issues. It seems, however, that the dead parrot had been comprehensively flogged- promoting the reunion, Michael Palin admitted that 'Python wasn't earning very much'. Which means that the chief motivator for the shows is profit. The group has always assiduously merchandised their work, and they've even been upfront about it, calling one of their records 'The Final Rip-Off'. But with an event like this, it would have been nice if it had been about something more than the need to pay off mortgages and debts. Maybe, say, a celebration of the 45th anniversary of a cultural landmark, or even a reward to the fans who kept the flame alive over the years. As is, the reunion is likely to be no more essential than those VHS and DVD reissues- a hodgepodge of familiar sketches, augmented for reasons of age or death- only vastly more expensive. Of course, this is all guesswork. They might end up pulling off a triumph. It could, after all, be their last chance. As of the present date, however, it's accountancy that makes the world go round, and that doesn't bode well for July.